Does Spending $62 Billion on Utility Batteries Lower Your Cost of Electricity? Of Course Not
The 2026 General Assembly is likely to amend the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) to greatly expand the construction of utility-scale batteries for our electric grid. Based on the current prices for Virginia battery installations, this may saddle ratepayers with $54 billion in new capital expenses over 20 years. The Commission on Electric Utility Regulation (CEUR) […]
The SCC Decides: Dominion’s Rates and Profits Go Up, New Rules on Data Centers
The massive data centers behind a growing energy crunch in Virginia will begin to pay substantially more for electricity in Dominion Energy’s territory, but not until 2027. The State Corporation Commission’s (SCC) approval of a new rate structure for the largest users will probably only intensify debates about what their “fair share” is. On Nov. 25, […]
Approval of Gas Generation Plant Divides Two Big Donors Who Helped Democrats Win
The State Corporation Commission (SCC) was able to approve Dominion Energy Virginia’s application for a needed natural gas generation facility because the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) includes a safety valve. If energy reliability is threatened, the prohibitions on natural gas at the heart of that law can be waived. One of the largest donors […]
Progressives Urge Assembly to Soak the Rich, But Likely Tax Increases Will Reach Everyone
As a new Democratic Party trifecta looms in Virginia, a progressive policy group has floated a long list of old and new ways to soak Virginia’s upper-income residents through taxes in order to fund additional state spending. The Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis doesn’t use the word “spending,” of course, but speaks of “investments” in “quality public […]
Enhanced Democratic Trifecta in Richmond Grants Them Control Over Energy Policy
The return of the political trifecta Democrats enjoyed during the 2020 and 2021 General Assembly sessions – now bolstered with a 64-36 majority in the House of Delegates – leaves the question of how to deal with Virginia’s energy issues entirely in their hands. Only if the Democrats suffer a significant division within their own […]
Destroying Democracy: Will Dems Trample on Voters’ Will?
You have to be pretty confident – no, read that “arrogant” – to tell 2.7 million Virginia voters that you’re willing to stick it to them. But that’s exactly what Virginia House and Senate Democratic leaders appear ready to do at 4:00 pm on Monday, all in the cause of enhancing political power and rejecting the voters’ […]
Don’t Bet Against Virginia: Why the State’s Economy Is Stronger Than the Headlines Suggest and Progressives Shout
If you only read the headlines, you might think Virginia’s economy is teetering on the brink. A recent Cardinal News story declared that the Commonwealth’s GDP growth has fallen from 6.2 percent to 1.7 percent, and touted warning signs spelled out in “three new (economic) reports” that claim to show serious trouble ahead. Setting aside the fact […]
The Most Watched AG Debate in History?
Last night’s only debate for Attorney General of Virginia between incumbent AG Jason Miyares and Delegate Jay Jones was spirited, well-moderated, and covered dozens of key topics. Sadly, the debate occurred after over 600,000 Virginians had already cast their ballots and before over half of those early voters had heard of the news of the […]
Clear Losers in Last Night’s Gubernatorial Debate and a Summary of Key Positions Taken
Last night’s first and final Virginia gubernatorial debate between Winsome Earle-Sears and Abigail Spanberger had one clear loser — the approximately 446,000 Commonwealth voters who had already cast their early ballots. For a state that has such a storied civic heritage, relying on a single, late-stage debate fails the test of responsible governance. The increase […]
Cost of Democrat-Supported Carbon Tax Reaches $500 Million Per Year
Based on the most recent carbon tax imposed on the member states of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), Virginians will pay about $500 million more per year for electricity if Virginia again becomes one of those member states. Your vote in November may determine that. Democratic nominee for governor Abigail Spanberger has pledged to rejoin the RGGI compact and […]